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In recent years, researchers and designers have started to produce textiles from bacterial cellulose as an alternative to leather and pleather, some of which are already on the market.

For sustainability-minded fashionistas, materials made by fast-growing, eco-friendly bacteria offer an appealing alternative to leather or faux plastic replacements such as “pleather.”

All bets were off when I took cheap red pleather underwear and a bra with horse bits out of a silk bag.

“It’s kind of like leather and pleather,” Rose said, comparing plastic LED and real neon.

“I wear pleather, but I love leather. I also love shopping at thrift stores, and on the rack are pleather jackets, and they’re all fallen apart. Then there’s the leather jackets that are 10, 20, 30 years old and they’re perfect.”